New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-12-25
4 TILE OF TERRORS.
SWINBURNE'S NEW POEM.

| LocRrSE Tragedy By ALGERSoS CHARLES SWIM
BJRNK- 12ms PIP vii. 13s. Worthingtsn Company.
The names of Locrinc. King Of Britain of Gucn-
dolcn and Of SaDrna are familiar to the readers
| Of Comus7 but II Miltons sacred feet have
fingered in the fields of fable haunted by these
! lifclcsS lives il
| Ills lips have made august the fabulous air,
! His hands have touched and left the wild weeds
fair,
! the which Swinburnc has made OF the old
| legend is entirely unlike that which suited the
| fancy OF his predecessor. The subject it is con-
ceivcd in this ira cdy would have pleased the taste
Of the seventeenth century dramatist. We ear
| imagine il attracting Marowc or Webster. and
either of these loud-voiccd poets would have made
feast Of horrors Of it, Yet it is not Of the style
! Of any individual draInatSt that II reminds us 1t
! suggests rather the relish for unrcllcycd agony,
the simple and brutal JOY in tragical situations.
ana the fondncss for display of rude elemental pIs
sion, which distinguished the English drama when
II was just bursting into yigor and before il
| felt the cnnohlng influence Of Shakespeare I'm
Mr.. S%inburnr's poem the important characters
are the KING Locrenc. his queen GueudUcn their
son Mhdan tstrild, Scy THAN princess paramour
"l L"'fIh', VINO keeps her IN secret retreat and
Sdbriua. the daughter OF E,trild and Locriuc
""'"""'i, discovering the kings Infaith fulncss
IciNuAd'N MADAM 10 make war upon him and seize
t"c Kingdom and the play ends with the death Of
LocrIhe III battle. and Of E>trild by her own hand
while Sdbrina cast, herself into the River severn
ana nucndocn IN her hour Of sayaec tripruph
dIol> few tender words over The bodi., Of Lc-
NIctimS. This tale Of tcrrors moves on with IN.
urn tread cf fate Nothing is allowed Ia divert
us Tor mumcit from the ,nsc OF lup.udiu, ca,n.
'rrihc; aad even the fair images Of Estrlid and
S'"FinA' Instead Of lending Iathos to the Gnnl
S''hc oi MASSACRE, serve rather ~ enhance II.
irgAtlul eject.
such traseiy BY direct action. free fron Tho
complexities Of warning motives and ccu,,,s,i,.
characters and from the problem, Of nu,. ar.,,,.,
h''ht OF incidents which can hc called q ,,Io, il
m'i' suitable for those earlier pla,eocr, vino ,,rc
content 10 De Impressed - 'hc accumulation ~
pa; steal horror, than Tor generation fond of
u"'i''Hs upon ihe spiritual side Of life. md GrI
'n4 'i' '3'''' ~ the most iuutIu, dramas I'm H..
r''''' pIHrHi ~ a." seeds 81 good or evil IN H..
human hoan. II Mr. Swinhurnc. however I'm.
placed himself somewhat out II s.rnna,ly win
Al' tmn hy bis recurrence o. old mol.i. lie ha.
gained 90 thc other hand an op,.,rtr,.i,,. fr g.,
employment 81 remarkable force Tho ,,tot.
mo'ou NJ Of tie stormy drama F, concentrated a,
"H'neol-h whose Wr.thfll and .tpl,yar, relr.
towers above The veal, and fa.rt0ne.cd Lo,r.no.
the Sio" -wI'tcd MADAM and the tr,achcrous C.iin-
Der like large lmhcd daughter of the god, 81
""Ih"ih 'irdng among the Thong Of mortal
men. from thc intense b.'forn.., Of the on.n.pr
SCOPES. where o." queen. conscious Of l-r vr.r,s.
las mt set reused herself t. n,cngc th,m
through th" sfmu-. discourse with her dull son.
who knows Of the outrage pat upon her. and r,f
deems - a matter Of little moment: in the thrill.
ing interview with Gambler. who whisper, 10 her
"ib "hii 3D." knows air adv. and set inspires her
i'irinl purpose; 81 'h' lnai turning - MADAM {,
flt.Fr ]
sa'laicd vengeance naiirrlnr itself that
The gods arr Wise wAp lead u,-uow 10 sn,ito.
And no" t. SPARE: wc dwell but in their sight,
And work but what their viii IS
through a.! the Stages 81 the dramn the t,,..ion
Of GEcndocn. ctane.n - l.y from time 10 time
steadily gathers strength md sweep and dcnnlf,
aIiA uIt.4 every uhc 81 the poem rings with IT,
The at "lth which the tum.ltuous impulse is
kept rising rnt.i the Inst scene Is matched ONLY
hy 'he Enc device which cap, all with n uomcn.
tnry ana hnlf acknowledged feminine rchc,iou
The faults Il construction in the play Ar. plnin
ne Introduction - Gambler Tor The sole purpose Of
talking TIE queen 10 fury Is a crude contrlvau
for Gucrdoirn would have needed no such conn
s'!lOr Ia" Conversion Of MADAM 10 his mothers
wishes is too sudden, TOO lightly explained. and
M" II Keeping with what we are permitted TO
know 81 that vague young princes tempo ramcnt
or
hrt fothe end rrnaias shadow, and inactive Sucl
detects @il prevent L0crne" from ranking with
Swnhurnrs greater dramas Yet the splcndor,
Of he turbulont food Of rhetoric which pour,
throurh itS principal pages have not often been
surpassed by Swmbumc himself and could he
parallccd by 10 other living poet
The scenes devoted &c Isind and her secret
bower are 50 remote in spirit from the rest o. the
play that they may almost be treated rs nm cpl
sodr. or course IL is Queen Elaanor and Fair
RosamOnd over again: but the genius of the poct
has Civ. II fresh -haIm 10 the old story. Moth
ing could De more dclicatcy beautiful than the
whole image Of The child, Sabrua, wise beyond
her years with the wisdom Of thoughtful limo
ccncc and her dialogues with Estrild are often
III n strain Of pure poetry which great poets can
not always reach. Here Is an admirable passage
sAnnIxA.
That song IS hardly even as wise ms /
Nay very fooiishness it ID. TO die
In March before It's life were well on wing
Before It's time and kindly scaSon--why
Should spring be snd-bcfOrc the swallows fly.
Enough 10 dream Of such wintry thing?
such foolish words were more unmcct COR spring
Than snow for summer when his heart is high
And why should words be foolish when they sing?
The song birds are not
There Is ore song in the book 1t is placed in
the mouth Of Esirild, and Sabrlna calls for it as
" the song that goes round and roundo
Had visit, quoth spring TO the swallow
That Garth could forget me- kissed
BY summer, and lurcd 20 follow
Down ways that know not l.
My heart should have waxed not hiohi
Mid March would have seen me die
Had w.st
Had wst, o spring, said the swallow,
That hope was sunlit mist
And the faint light heart Of it, hollow,
Thy woods had not heard me sing,
Thy winds had not known my wing;